


Heir of the Eyrie

by taylortcr



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), game of thrones
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22197079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taylortcr/pseuds/taylortcr
Summary: What happens when Jon Arryn takes a third wife, Valerie Velaryon, and has seven daughters? What occurs if the eldest daughter, Holyria Arryn, Heir of the Eyrie, turns out to be a D&D style wizard? What if she's able to teach just a little bit of this magic to her sisters and her father's wards, Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon? Eventual Holyria / Rhaegar. No Robert's Rebellion.
Relationships: Rhaegar Targaryen/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 11





	1. 1

Authors Note: This is a self-insert of sorts. Really it's about Holyria Arryn (an OC I've made) but also sort of me playing her in her life like a D&D character. She'll be a D&D style Wizard, but will keep it hidden for a long while, but her magical abilities will develop slowly and accelerate with time. I've mapped out quite a few years, but we'll see how much I actually have time to write.

Diary of Holyria Arryn, Heir of the Eyrie

Summer, Day Six of the Seventh Month, 269 AC

At first, it was unsettling. Opening your eyes to a bed you don't recognize isn't comforting. To not recognize the hands you use to rub your eyes awake is doubly uncomforting. Lastly, to look down at your body and have it be rendered entirely unfamiliar is traumatic. It took a few minutes for me to calm down from that fact this was real. I thought I was dreaming, but there was too much clarity. I didn't have my regular body, I was in the body of a young girl. Long silver-gold blonde hair. Pale skin. The bed was a decadent four poster made of a light aspen wood with a canopy of pink velvet embroidered with gold clouds, drawn shut around me on all four sides. The sheets I was tucked into were made of white silk. After settling down mentally, I tore out of the sheets and opened the curtain-like canopy at the bottom of the bed.

"Woah," I audibly gasped as the velvet partitioned. There was a large set of french doors that opened onto a balcony. The doors were likely twelve feet tall and were currently open to a gorgeous view. To the right I could see gorgeous mountain peaks. To the left I could see even more. The closest peak had a grand waterfall that cascaded down into mist that spread into the sky over what was in front of me: a harsh drop down, thousands of feet, to cropland framed by the bases of these mountains. It seemed I was atop the highest mountain around.

Looking down, I saw I was in a castle of white stone, but there were a handful more castles below me on the mountain. The largest was at the base, but from it here it looked merely like a child's playtoy. The sun was rising in a spectacular mix of yellow, pink, orange, amber, and gold. The rays hit the mountains in a way that made them look like solid gold and like the waterfall was ambrosia and nectar falling from the heavens.

It took me a minute to soak it all in before I started to realize this didn't feel like an unfamiliar sight. As much as I didn't know where I was, I also knew exactly where I was. I knew who I was, it was like being two different people at once but I had all my memories of my life on earth, but also all the memories of who I was now: Holyria Arryn, Heir of the Eyrie. The memories came back like a flood: lessons with Septa Sabrina and my sisters, meals at the high table with my father, Jon Arryn, horseback riding lessons on the mountain, the Giant's Lance, and winters below at the large castle I had seen: The Gates of the Moon.

I turned back to the room, which I now knew was in the Eyrie, leaving the marvelous view from the balcony behind me. My bedroom was very large and was shaped like a quarter of a circle. The canopy bed was between two nightstands crafted from aspen wood. There were two large windows on each side of the french doors. The floor was marble with light blue veins. On one wall of the room there was a stone archway that led into another room, my sitting room, containing a currently unlit fireplace, two armchairs, and a loveseat that matched the curtains of the canopy. On the other side of the bedroom there was a wooden door to a large private washroom.

I could also see myself in the large mirror I had by the door of the washroom, next to my wardrobe. My appearance was shocking. I looked mostly normal, but my ears were not. They were pointed. I was an elf. But elves didn't exist in Westeros and Jon Arryn was definitely not an elf. Was this some weird mashup of Dungeons and Dragons and Westeros?

Looking back at my memories, I was born an elf. Being the eldest of seven daughters, my parents were confused at my birth, especially because they were both humans and elves didn't exist in this world. To them, I just had a deformity. To be fair, it wasn't even a bad malformation to be born with. Pointy ears weren't bad per se and being lean was a good thing. When they soon after discovered that I (and later my six younger sisters) only needed four hours of "sleep" a day, they knew something was afoot, however. My father had an Archmaester come and diagnose me, but he said I was perfectly healthy. So, my father decided sleeping less was just another quirk of the way my sisters and I were born.

Of course, I fit right in otherwise: I looked beautiful with my violet eyes, just like my mother: Valerie Velaryon. She met my father and they fell in love at first sight, they say. She was his third wife. The first two both died. Thankfully though, my mother has borne him seven daughters. No sons, which I know he's probably saddened by, but he declared me his heir after the birth of my youngest sister, Hillary, a few years ago.

I know he was hoping my mother would eventually give him a son but he declared me the Heir of the Eyrie because Maester Coleman told him my mother wouldn't be able to have any more kids after Hillary. Regardless of the fact he had hoped one day for a boy, he's always treated me with love and has given me a lot more free range and responsibility now that I'm the one who will one day take his place. He's fifty one now, and it is 269 AC (after Aegon's Conquest). I am nine years old. Well, nine and now also sort of nineteen, mentally. It's a weird dichotomy.

"Meowww," I heard softly from somewhere in the room.

My head turned. I was no longer lost in my thoughts because there was something very unfamiliar now in my bed, right where I had materialized only a few minutes previous. A cat with wings on top of a large old book I didn't recognize. A cat. With wings? Maybe this did have something to do with D&D. Was this a Treyssm?

I crept up to the side of the creature, opening one side of the curtains. The Tressym didn't seem to feel threatened by me at all. I stuck out my hand and it nudged its nose forward. It tapped my hand, whiskers brushing my fingertips and the wet nose pressing into my palm and suddenly I was in its body, looking at myself from its eyes. I pulled my hand back, and I was back in my own body. Was this what having a familiar was like? Being able to see through its eyes?

"Fly out the door and come back," I asked the Treyssm. They uncurled their wings, jumped off the bed, and began to glide over the marble floor, out the french doors, over the white railing of the balcony, did a small loop in the air over the steep drop of what was likely six hundred feet down to Sky Waycastle, and came whooshing back into the room, landing back on the bed.

"Woah," I said out loud staring at the Treyssm. It was honestly beautiful. A big white fluffball Persian-esque cat body, with violet eyes and large white feathered wings, with probably a four and a half foot wingspan.

" _I know, pretty frisky, right?"_ I heard in my mind as the Treyssm stared back at me. Was this what telepathic communication was like?

" _You can talk?"_ I tried asked in my mind.

" _Yup. Well, just to you. I can understand everyone else, though,"_ the cat explained.

" _You're a cat! That can talk!"_

" _Excuse you, I'm a Tressym. I have wings. That means I'm superior."_

" _Are you a boy or girl?"_

" _I'll turn around and you'll find out,"_ the Tressym snorted as they did a lil semicircle on the bed. The little shuffle was adorable. I checked his behind: definitely a boy.

" _So do you have a name?"_ I asked.

" _No, you get to pick that."_

" _Do you know uh... why I'm here?"_

" _You're a level 1 wizard, dumbass. You're playing D &D, in Westeros, of a sorts. I didn't get all the details I'm just your run-of-the-mill familiar spirit. This thing I'm sitting on is your spellbook, by the way. Might want to put that in your nightstand, I can hear someone coming. Hopefully breakfast. I'm starving. Do you have bacon at this joint?"_ he said, walking in a strut around the book. I snatched the book as I heard footsteps coming up the servant's stairs to my room. I didn't even get a chance to look at it as I stuffed it into the drawer of my nightstand and locked it with the key I keep around my neck (where I also keep my diary).

"What's all this ruckus?" Elena, my maid servant asked before she came into the bedroom. Then as crossed the archway into the room and saw me asked, "You're still not dressed for Breakfast? You still have on your nightgown." She sighed, and made her way into the room, around the bed (whose curtains were still closed on her side), over to my wardrobe to start pulling out clothes for the day.

"Do you have a color in mind for the day?" she asked, going straight to the drawers. I didn't answer, wondering if I should attempt to hide the cat. Then, she turned around. Too late.

"What is THATT!? Holyria Arryn what in the SEVEN is on your bed!" she screeched, bumping into the wardrobe as she jumped backwards.

"Uh… it's like a cat but with wings. It flew in this morning. He's very friendly. Just like a normal cat. I'm adopting him as my pet. I haven't decided on a name yet, but he's quite the beautiful one, isn't he? Very smart, too. Sit, boy," I responded. The Tressym sat, although he eyed me with hauntingly violet eyes so similar to mine.

" _I don't mind helping you but I'm not a dumbass dog, show some respect,"_ he scoffed at me telepathically.

"I can't catch a break. Just another thing to take care of. Only you, Holyria, would find a cat with wings. You're not bringing that thing to breakfast are you? You'll cause quite a stir."

"Well, I think he's hungry."

"I won't be the one to stop you. Seven knows I don't have that power. But if he's going to piss somewhere please let it be the Morning Hall and not here, cat piss is the hardest smell to get rid of."

"Of course, Elena. Oh, and green."

"What?"

"Green? For the color dress I shall wear today."

"Oh, right. Right. Of course," Elena responded, fetching my garments from the wardrobe. Normally I dressed on my own and she just came in to tie the strings in the back of my dress.

Elena was a bastard of some old knight in my father's court but I don't think I ever asked which. Elena Stone. She was a fairly average looking woman, a little short, younger-twenties. Unmarried. Nice and caring, if a little frazzled sometimes.

I got dressed quickly with her help. I had bathed the night before and slept in braids, so she quickly undid them to give my hair a nice wave. Then, I set off, exiting through the door in my sitting room, down the large central spiral staircase of the Maiden's Tower, beckoning my new familiar to follow.

" _We're really going to have to think of a name, kitty,"_ I thought, scratching his head as I took my first few steps down.


	2. 2

Diary of Holyria Arryn, Heir of the Eyrie

Summer, Day Six of the Seventh Month, 269 AC

My room was at the top of the Maiden's Tower and had the best views of the Vale and the castles below. Being at the top of the tower also meant I had the longest descent, however. Going down wasn't hard. Walking up later would be tiring, _ugh_. People who didn't grow up at this altitude who come as guests to the Eyrie always talk about how difficult the steps can be, so thankfully I didn't have to deal with that added bother of not being acclimated. I would normally have made it to breakfast a few minutes earlier than I had today, but thankfully breakfast was not a formal occasion and my tardiness would likely be unnoticed and unimportant. Dinner was the most formal meal of the day, especially whenever a feast was held.

I decided towards the bottom of the steps that it might be best to carry my new pet instead of letting him walk behind me. When I picked him up, I noticed for the first time the very edges of his whiskers were colored purple like his eyes, but more of a periwinkle than a violet. Hmm. Periwinkle. That could work.

" _That's your new name. Ser Periwinkle!" I said, twirling his whiskers in my finger._

"Meow." " _Not the worst name you could have come up with. Not the best either, though: I was hoping for Emperor Lady Killer."_

" _Ha. Fat chance," I laughed._

From the bottom of the stairs I took an arched hallway that ran alongside the courtyard to the Entrance Hall, crossed the Entrance Hall, and went up a set of stairs to reach the Morning Hall. People were milling about, servants, guardsmen, my father's knights and men-at-arms, and all of their families. With Periwinkle curled up in my arms he looked insignificant and hadn't been noticed yet. The doors to the Morning Hall at the top of the steps were gigantic. Probably about twenty five feet tall. They were made of a dark wood and a large falcon was carved on the doors but was currently split in half as the doors were wide open.

The Morning Hall itself was a long hall with multiples tables and a high table farthest from the doors. If this were a feast or dinner, I would be sitting at the high table, but seeing as it was a weekday breakfast, I went to sit at the table right in front of the high table. My sisters were already there as well as my best friend Rosemary Templeton, who was the daughter of the Master-at-Arms of the Eyrie, Ser Tytos Templeton. My sisters were all somewhat similar in appearance to me, but some of them had blue eyes like my father instead of violet like mother and myself. Some of them had Dad's more sandy blonde color hair as well. Rosemary had too many freckles to count and dark brown hair that was always tied back with a pink ribbon. Her brother, Reed, and my uncle, Valentine Velaryon, who were both currently squires, were also at the table.

"What's that?" my second eldest sister, Hestia, just a year younger than me, asked, pointing to what was in my arms.

"Uh, my new pet. His name is Ser Periwinkle," I had now drawn the attention of the table.

"Let me see him. What even is it?" she asked, gesturing for me to hand her Periwinkle.

"He's a Tressym. He's like a cat with wings," I responded.

"You're just making that up. Cats don't have wings, and whatever the hell a Tressym is doesn't exist," Reed, Rosemary's rude and even more freckly older brother declared, grabbing for Periwinkle. I shifted away, blocking him from taking grasp of Periwinkle.

"I'll show everyone and prove it."

I plopped Periwinkle in the middle of the table in between a plate of link sausages and a large bowl of oatmeal.

"Woah, he really does have wings," Heather, Hestia's twin, said in awe as the others all looked in astonishment and whispered a murmur of surprises.

"I have never heard of a Tressym before, but he looks very majestic. However did you come across him?" Valentine, my uncle asked. He was my uncle but he wasn't old. He was only a few years older than me. He was very kind and sweet and always defended me and my sisters. He was 14 and had long silver-gold hair just like mine. His eyes were more lavender than violet, however. He was really beautiful and was apparently shaping up to be one of the best knights of his generation. He was an amazing squire. At least, that's what Rosemary said her father, the Eyrie's master-at-arms, said about him.

"He flew into my room. He's very tame," I said as Periwinkle stretched his wings for a second to his full wingspan, covering all the plates on the table in the vicinity and almost hitting Heather and Valentine in the face before bringing his wings back in. That seemed to catch the attention of a few members of the high table above us, my father included.

"Holyria, come up here," my father called down. I grabbed a piece of bacon in one hand and scooped

up Periwinkle in the other before making my way up the small steps on the side of the Morning Hall up to the high table. The high table was sparsely attended, currently. Just my parents and the major household figures like our Steward, Master at Arms, Maester, and Captain of the Guard.

"What do you have there?" asked my father, Jon Arryn, as I approached the part of the high table in front of him. He was a man of around fifty years of age with graying hair but charming blue eyes. He commanded the respect of the whole room with just his presence. My mother looked on curiously from his left side, her violet eyes sparkling in the morning light that was cascading in from the stained glass windows on the east side of the Morning Hall.

"Uh. His name is Ser Periwinkle. He flew into my room this morning."

"Flew…? My, my, my. Maester Coleman, have you seen or read about these creatures before? I'm afraid that I'm unfamiliar," my father asked, gesturing to his right, where two seats to the right of him our Maester sat. Maester Coleman was a very skinny man in his mid-thirties with a long hooked nose and wise green eyes. He use to be some third son of a lord somewhere in the Vale and that's why my father picked him years ago; Not that lords got to "pick" their maester, but they definitely had some sort of say.

"I'm afraid I haven't. He can actually fly, you say? With those wings?" the maester asked, gesturing for me to place him on the table. I turned around before doing so, noticing the attention of not only my sisters and the rest of the table I was at, but the entire hall was focused on me. I placed Periwinkle on the table in-between my father and Maester Coleman, right in front of the castle steward, Ser Vance Coldwater, who was sitting between them.

Periwinkle first walked in a small circle around a platter of eggs, looking around the room.

" _Extend your wings for Maester Coleman to look at."_

Periwinkles wings extended over the table, spread out in all their glory.

"Marvelous," Maester Coleman said, inspecting the wings by stroking a feather and looking at where the joints for the arm met the wing.

"I assume you intend to keep him?" my father asked?

"I hope so."

"Well, he will be your responsibility. You have to feed him, you'll have to clean up after him. Pets are your responsibility. Not Elena's."

"I promise, Dad."

" _Do familiars even need to shit?"_

" _No,"_ Periwinkle responded, as Maester Coleman poked his outstretched wing.

"I've never seen nor heard of this species. I doubt it even has a name. I'll have to check my books and write back to the Citadel to see if there's been mention of it there somewhere," Maester Coleman stated, looking at my father.

"The species are called Tressyms," I informed

him.

Maester Coleman gave me a curious look.

"If there's no documented name for this species, I'll be sure to refer that name to the Citadel. Regardless, if I've never heard of it: it's rare. I might want to look into a breeding program with some local cats."

" _ **I'll**_ be sure to look into that, Maester Coleman, thank you for your wonderful suggestion," I said, making it clear Periwinkle was mine. "I would love your help on implementing that program, though."

"Of course," Maester Coleman said, with a slight nod of his head and a recognition of his overstep.

I lifted my arm up and whistled a note. " _Fly up to my arm."_ Periwinkle flapped his wings once, spun around, jumped off the table, and soared into the air, doing a loop in the air before coming to rest on my arm.

"He's quite intelligent," I told them, starting to walk down off the platform. It seemed I had stunned the high table, but my father did not call me back as I descended the steps.

Valentine began to whistle and slow clap for that display as the outskirts of the room began to return to whatever they were doing previously. My table still seemed thoroughly focused on me, though, as I returned.

"Woah," Heather said. "I'm so glad Dad let you keep him. I was honestly thinking Maester Coleman might try to take him and study him."

"Eh. I might let him at some point, Maester Coleman isn't a bad guy who would want to like dissect him or something, he's just a little awkward and forward sometimes."

"Well, if Ser Periwinkle can have kittens, I definitely want one," my other sister Hyperia called from a few seats down. "Or two or three." She loved all animals. She had not only a pony, but a mule, a bunny, and a goose.

The conversation began to veer into the normal as people became less interested in Ser Periwinkle, but I still passed him around to let everyone fully get their curiosity out of their system. We talked about how Valentine and Reed were going to be going on a boar hunt with my father later this week, how Heather was almost done sewing a new dress for our mother to wear, and how Hyperia was finally able to trot and canter down the mountain with ease on her pony Matilda. I ate corn flakes with sugar, bacon, and a bread roll. It was actually quite good. The bread crunched in an awfully delicious way: the bread cracked with a slight sound as I bit down and the chewy interior melted in my mouth. It didn't even need butter. Then it was time for a lesson in High Valyrian with Maester Coleman.

I was getting quite good at being conversational in High Valyrian, I would say. So, it entirely surprised me when I opened up a book to work on reading today that I was able to read it effortlessly and with perfect accuracy. I guess coming into being a wizard meant that I had language proficiencies from being an elf now? Did that mean… I had the elven weapon proficiencies? I knew there was a spellbook waiting for me back in my nightstand, but I wasn't willing to break out magic in a fight where there'd be someone left to tell the tale. If I could use a sword or bow and arrow, I could gain experience. That was the only way to level in D&D besides milestone leveling and I suspected if I wanted to become more magically powerful in the future I would need to defeat foes, even if only for the XP grind.

" _Maybe I should try and go on that boar hunt."_

" _I could scout for you and lead you to them."_

" _That would be useful. I'll need to ask my father."_

" _You may want to be sure you can even use a weapon first. After lunch maybe go to the Master-at-Arms and see what you're capable of?"_ Periwinkle suggested. He would be a good friend and advisor.

" _I'll do that."_

I just read to myself the whole lesson. I didn't want Maester Coleman to notice me reading faster than usual, so I just waited a few extra moments before turning the page each time.

Lunch wasn't anywhere near as interesting as breakfast had been, but Victoria, Valentine's sister and my aunt was there. She didn't say why she missed breakfast and remained very tight-lipped when Hestia asked, saying it was "none of her business." I did have to ask Ser Tytos if he would allow me to come by that afternoon to the training yard because he may have turned me away if I had just shown up. Thankfully I found him leaving the Morning Hall as I entered. He told me he would check with my father. It seems he was able to get in touch with my father, who wasn't present at lunch, because a servant arrived with a note towards the end of lunch:

_**Lady Holyria,** _

_**You're perfectly welcome to come and try your hand at Archery this afternoon. Your father seemed surprised yet delighted in your display of interest. Although you are a Lady, he declared as the Heir of the Eyrie, having some proficiency in combat and the ability to understand it so that you can later on effectively command men will be of much use to you.** _

_**Ser Tytos Templeton,** _

_**Master at Arms of the Eyrie** _

Hestia asked what the note was about and in a near-perfect impression of Aunt Victoria I said, "It's none of your business." Everyone laughed, especially Valentine. Vic seemed pretty miffed, however, and left lunch early. After a few more minutes as we were leaving lunch, Hyperia asked me if I wanted to go riding with her. Sadly, I had to decline. Heather was going to finish up the dress she was working on. Hestia was going to the second floor balcony of the Silver Tower to spy on people with her scope. Hyderia was cuddling up in her favorite window alcove overlooking the courtyard to read a book about Ser Damion the Daring. Valentine and Reed were both headed to the training yard as well, which is where they trained with Sir Tytos, some of the other knights, and occasionally my father.


	3. 3

Valentine Velayron

Summer, Day Six of the Seventh Moon, 269 AC

Holyria seemed slightly different today. I couldn't place my finger on it. She was already a confident girl: who wouldn't be when they stood to inherit the most beautiful castle in the seven kingdoms and would one day be Protector of the Vale and Warden of the East. I was the third son of a second son who stood to inherit absolutely zilch. The fact Lord Arryn fell in love with my sister was a saving grace for my family. My second eldest brother, Ser Cameion, was now Knight of the Gate: a pretty good life appointment. My parents, Laemion Velaryon and Christina Celtigar, were both of Valryian heritage and my siblings and I all got those features. My father Laemion was the younger brother of Lucerys, the current Master of Ships for King Aerys II, and Lord of Driftmark and Lord of the Tides.

For a while my father expected to be nothing more than Castellan of Driftmark because Lucerys lived in King's Landing with the rest of the small council and couldn't maintain Castle Driftmark, but as time went on and Lucerys got to his second marriage with no children we've come to think he's likely infertile and he's not getting any younger, being sixty-one. So, my eldest brother Midas stands to inherit all of Driftmark and my next eldest brother Camieon is Knight of the Gate. Even with my sister being Lady of the Eyrie, I'm going to have to marry for any inheritance. Or be appointed a position. Or be a successful tourney knight. Ser Tytos said I'm shaping up to be quite great. I'm not trying to have a big head about it though. I'm making myself work harder. I was best at melee combat but my jousting could use a bit more work. Thankfully, I came as a ward to Lord Arryn back when I was eight. My sister, Valerie, married him when she was seventeen and he was forty. My sister is thirteen years older than me and I am now fourteen. I've been a ward here for almost half my life, but definitely most of my memorable life. The Eyrie is much more comfortable than Castle Driftmark was. I've only been back a few times. My elder sister makes it a point to visit once every winter.

After lunch, my friend Reed and I began to make our way to the training yard to work with Ser Tytos. Down the steps from the Morning Hall to the entrance hall, out through the main doors, and around the east side of the castle to the training yard. I noticed Holyria was a few steps behind us when we turned the corner around the base of the Silver Tower.

Holyria was wearing an emerald dress, but it was cut so as not to touch the ground. Her new pet was still with her, flying beside her. That was really quite astonishing.

"Where are you headed, Holyria?" I asked, turning my head back while still walking forward.

"The training yard," she responded. Reed stopped in his tracks.

"What are you planning on doing there? Watching me spar?" he asked, puffing out his chest.

"No, you wish. I'm to learn archery."

"You? But you're a girl," Reed said, as if the two were like oil and water.

"She'll also one day be your dad's boss, so just shut up and keep walking Reed," I told him, patting him on the back of his shoulder to push him forwards. He could be so thick headed around girls. He was otherwise an okay guy, normally. There weren't really many other boys of my age and social standing to associate with here, though. Even though the Eyrie was a grand castle, and the most beautiful, it was the smallest of the Great Houses' castles.

Holyria smiled at me. We finally made it to the yard, an outcropping off the castle that was a generous size before dropping off onto a cliff. Thankfully there was a railing alongside the cliff-edge in the event any sparring traveled too close.

"Holyria, glad you made it!" Ser Tytos said, welcoming her. He was a man in his younger thirties. Very attractive. Tan skin from being outside all day. What would have been light brown hair turned an amber blonde in the sun. Full of freckles, just like his kids. I more than admired the man, but that's not something I would really share with anyone. Plus, he was married. Maybe not happily, I might add, but married nevertheless.

"I am too," she responded.

"Well, we need to get you sized up for a bow. I've had a few of the men bring out targets," he looked towards Reed and I. "I'll be having all three of you practice: might as well."

The targets were fashioned close to the edge of the cliff-face, we likely had about 30 yards of space in total to shoot from, but he was having her start much closer, at only about 15 yards.

"I can help her find a bow," I offered.

"Thank you Valentine, but I've already pulled a couple of options from the armory," he turned to face her, "You'll need something you have the strength to pull back Holyria, so I found this shortbow made of a very light wood. You should hopefully be able to use this, otherwise I'm afraid we'll have to work on your strength before we can even practice shooting."

The bow he handed her was made of a light wood, and maybe half a foot shorter in length than the bows Reed and I normally used. We grabbed our bows from the armory, which was accessible from an exterior entrance out here as well as from the inside.

"Alright Holyria, sticks out your hands in a triangle and look at me. Alright. There. Yup. Right eye dominant. So hold the bow like this. Little anatomy of the bow lesson, real quick," he began to point to areas on the bow as she held it, "Handle. Limbs. String. Nocking point. Arrow rest. These last two pieces are very important, they're what keep the arrow in the same position every time."

"Got it," she nodded her head. Ser Periwinkle had been resting on her shoulder but with her now holding the bow, he flew away to perch himself on top of the gate to the small inner bailey that was outside the armory entrance. Looking up, I could see Hestia perched on the inside of the second floor of the Silver Tower eyeing us with her scope. She'd grow up to be a spymaster, for sure. Last week she had listened in on Lady Lila yelling at her husband Ser Tytos. Lady Lila was apparently wanting more money to spend on fine soaps and new dresses, as she didn't like sewing and embroidering them herself. Her father, Lord Roote of Harroway Town, must have spoiled her when she was young.

"Alright now hold the handle like this," he instructed. She gripped it perfectly. "Good job. Now here's how you nock the arrow," he demonstrated and then continued, "Now, draw back like this, one finger above, two fingers below, elbow up, hand at the mouth. Tuck it into your face, lean your head forward," he stepped back, away from her, "and release."

The arrow shot through the air, towards the target, which Reed and I had painted three weeks ago. The arrow lodged itself right in the second circle, not bullseye, but fairly close. The first time most people shot half the time it didn't even make target.

"Woah. Now that's some beginners luck, right there. Good job, Holyria," Ser Tytos said with a pat on her head, "Let's try it again?"

"Sounds good. I think I understand the balance of the bow better. I was aiming too high."

"Right. You did have surprisingly good form, but sometimes it just takes repetitive practice. You see if you can nock the arrow on your own this time."

She grabbed an arrow out of the quiver lying on the ground in front of her and nocked the arrow in under a second flat. It was lightning fast. Damn, she was pretty dexterous. She twirled the whole arrow to get it facing the right direction and she notched it at the end of that motion. She only drew back for all of half a second before releasing her shot.

This arrow soared faster than the first and hit dead center.

"Shite. You look like a seasoned archer with your confidence. Beginners luck doesn't strike twice. Who's been training you?" Ser Tytos asked, taking the bow out of her hands.

"I promise, no one has been. I guess I'm just a natural," she responded, with some obvious worry in her eyes about something being found out.

"Hmm. Alrighty, lass. Well, there's no point in seeing what you can do from here, go back up as far as you can and let me get you a real bow. We'll see if that natural talent holds."

"I wonder what your father would say. Were you running off to try your hand at archery in the middle of the night?" Reed asked her, clearly trying to bait her. She ignored him.

Ser Tytos brought out a bow quite similar to the ones we were using.

"Alright, now stand at that line and go again. It gets harder with distance."

She notched and let loose again, with great speed. Second circle.

"Well done, my Lady. Seems like you may be able to keep up with these boys. You'll have to come down the mountain with us to get in some real range shooting." He walked towards the target she had been using, removed the arrows, got out of the way, and then looked toward us. "Now all of you this time, shoot 3 arrows."

Holyria was already in position, getting her first arrow out in a fraction of a second. Reed and I were on left and right. She managed to get all three of her arrows out before our second arrows flew.

She actually did the best. To be fair though, I spent way more time training lance and sword over bow. I made one center and two in the second circle. Holyria made two in the center and one in the second circle. Reed made two in the second circle and one in the third.

"Son, you've been bested by a green girl," he said, looking at Reed. "We may need to work a bit more on your skills before the boar hunt later this week. Speaking of Holyria, would you like to come? I shall ask your Dad for you."

"Very much so. Thank you, Ser Tytos."

"Of course. Now, fetch your arrows and lets go again."

We then did practice shots for about an hour and Holyria stayed pretty consistently where she had been, just slightly better than me. Definitely a bit faster, however. In war, speed mattered. Not for a tourney, though. It was honestly super astonishing. She really must have been practicing on her own or someone taught her. But who? I wonder if she'd practiced the sword.

"Obviously you're a fine archer, Holyria, but how are you with the blade?" I asked.

"Why don't we find out?" she said, smirking. I looked towards Ser Tytos for permission.

"I didn't get express permission to teach her the blade, but if she's already proficient, be my guest and spar. I'd love to observe," Ser Tytos said, heading to the armory to grab dull blades.

She managed to be just as surprising with the blade. The first time we spared I won in a matter of seconds. We went again, her saying she just needed to get use to the blade. This time I won in just over a minute. She seemed to have a fairly good handle on wielding the sword, even though I was winning. I was more than proficient, however. The third spar lasted for about three or four minutes, and I prevailed again. She convinced me to go one more time, taking a good shot and beating me about forty-five seconds in. It was a lucky shot and I wasn't use to her style of fighting, but it was very impressive for a girl 5 years my junior. I congratulated her. It did hurt my ego, but even the best swordsmen can be bested sometimes, especially against unfamiliar styles of swordsmanship. She was only further fuel for me to work harder. She was definitely training. Maybe on her own, but at least partially with someone else. The way she parried my swings and was able to dodge out of the way shows a proficiency only experience could provide and the style in which she did so was something not entirely foreign but different than the Westerosi standard. I'm glad I had Ser Tytos and his experience to teach me. If I had trained back in Driftmark I'd likely not be even half as skilled.

"Reed, would you indulge me in a spar?" she asked him. Ooo. A challenge. He couldn't back down from this. Reed was not as skilled at the sword as I was yet. Every ten times we sparred he would only win once.

He obliged, gritting his teeth. The battle lasted minutes. After about the six minute mark of them going at it I was about to call the fight if Ser Tytos didn't. They were looking worn out. Reed eventually made a dumb mistake and Holyria took him down, tripping him and disarming him. Reed was on the ground for just a moment before getting up, spitting, and saying, "oh, you like to play rough? Let's go again."

Holyria smiled, kicking the sword he had towards him and taking her stance. This time though Reed brought anger to the fight. He didn't just swing his sword, he decked her, using his body weight to shove her to the ground while holding her at sword point.

"Woah, son," Ser Tytos called, running over to them. "You can't be that rough, what were you thinking?"

"But she tripped me first!"

"You are thirteen. She's nine. You're getting closer to being a man grown. It's time to start acting like one. Go clean yourself up."

I walked over to Holyria to help her up. She didn't seem hurt at all, it only looked rough in the moment. Not a scratch on her. Ser Tytos may have overreacted to Reed's move, but he was always hard on him. Ser Tytos sure did look good when he was being aggressive, though. Urgh. Not the moment.

I extended my hand to Holyria, helping her up. Her green dress was now covered in dirt, "You may want to get cleaned up before dinner. I can pick up around here for you, my lady."

"Thank you, Valentine!" she replied, giving me a hug and beginning to walk off, Ser Periwinkle flying behind her. "I'll see you at Dinner!"

"Please don't be mad at Reed!" I called as she was about ten feet away. She turned around.

"I'm not, really. It was good experience. He'll have his comeuppance," she smirked devilishly. I shook my head.

I picked up her sword and began to fetch arrows from earlier to put back in the armory.

"Oh, good on you, boy," Ser Tytos said to me, grinning with his perfect smile as he patted me on the back.


	4. 4

Holyria Arryn, Heir of the Eyrie

Summer, Day Six of the Seventh Month, 269 AC

I was very happy with myself, to say the least. Archery was fun. Archery via target practice, not as much. I liked shooting the bow, but I'd rather be aiming for real things. Not that I really wanted to kill anything at all, but I'd rather be aiming at like moving balls of light in the air or tankards of ale sitting on a fence post. So after about half an hour of shooting at the same thing, I got bored. Sparring was difficult, but exhilarating. Valentine was way better than me. I thought I was fairly well matched at Reed's abilities, but he definitely had more strength than me being four years older, taller, and a boy.

I know I stirred up questions from Ser Tytos, Reed, and Valentine, though. They all seemed to think I was training on my own or even with somebody, even if they didn't make it known that's what they all thought. I knew Ser Tytos would be reporting back to my dad, so I decided to try and spy on them using Ser Periwinkle. I needed to get up to my room, first, to change, however. Hopefully Ser Tytos wouldn't leave the yard too soon.

It only took me a few minutes to get up there and I quickly sat on my bed with Ser Periwinkle as soon as I shut the door. This time, I just reached out with my mind to Ser Periwinkle and then suddenly, I was in his body, looking at my room from the floor. Then, I flew out the balcony doors.

Wow. This was amazing. It wasn't close to sunset yet, but the afternoon sun between mountain peaks was beautiful. Flying was so much fun. I swooped down, not being able to help myself, diving towards Sky, the castle closest below. I dove for a few dozen feet before coming back up again and heading to the yard.

Ser Tytos was on his way inside. I followed him through the windows, tracking him entering the Moon Tower and ascending to my father's study on the third floor. I flew to perch myself on the windowsill, looking in.

My father's study was large and inviting. A wood paneled room with a large fireplace, a large desk bigger than two horses covered with paper and books, a bookshelf of my father's private collection separate from the library, armchairs to sit at in a less formal manner than on opposing sides of the desk, and plenty of interesting knick-knacks.

Knock, knock. The door rattled.

"Come in," my father called. Ser Tytos entered the room with a head nod of respect to my father. My father questioned him, "How did the lesson go? Is she hitting the target board consistently from any distance yet?" My dad was thumbing through the last few pages of a book while flicking a look up at Ser Tytos.

"She's more than hitting the target," he started. My father's eyes raised from the pages of the book and now focused on Ser Tytos as the Knight continued, "she's hitting bullseyes consistently from ninety feet away. It goes beyond beginners luck or natural talent. There's no way to explain it other than someone's trained her."

My father set the book down, ignoring the need to procure a bookmark. "Fascinating. She had never shown interest before today. I wonder who here would have trained her, and when would she have the time? She must have been sneaking out of the Maiden's Tower. There's no one here at the Eyrie who's untrustworthy enough to be a danger to her or any of my children, but who would go in secret to teach her?"

"I have no idea," Ser Tytos responded, "but she also sparred with Valentine and Reed with dulled blades and she's skilled enough in that regard, too. She could go toe-to-toe with a hedge knight. She bested Reed in one spar, I'd say they're fairly evenly matched. Can't imagine what she'll be able to do in a few years, she could be just as good as Valentine is now if she works hard."

"You let her spar?" Jon asked. He didn't seem critical, just curious.

"By that point it was evident she'd had weapons training, she's been hitting straight bullseyes for the hour previous."

"Hmm."

"But, my point was: she fights with a unique style. Not anything I'd seen before. It's not too unlike your standard Westerosi fighting. It's like a mix of Bravosi and Dornish with a bit of something I've never seen before. It threw off Valentine enough for her to get in one lucky jab at him, and that boy is shaping up to be a right terror with a sword. He spars with some of the guards and beats them consistently and he's only fourteen."

"Well, it's a mystery, then. Did you ask her?"

"She denied receiving training."

"Well, then, I may just let things lie. It can't hurt her to be good with weapons. If she's as good with a bow as you say she is, she can come on the hunt later this week."

"She did desire to."

"I'll inform her she's welcome at dinner. Anything else?"

"I'm thinking you may want to think of knighting Valentine at the age of fifteen."

"That's quite early."

"He's quite skilled."

"Hmm. I'll need to spend more time with the boy in that case. I've left most of his training to you."

"Oh, I don't mind at all, my Lord. That's what I'm here for. He's a great lad. I've enjoyed training him. I'll be quite sad to see him go, when you've married him off or he starts traveling for tourneys."

"Yes, well I'm glad my young brother-in-law has been such a pleasure. He is quite well behaved. I appreciate your visit. I'll see you for breakfast tomorrow."

"Of course, my lord."

My father opened the blue tome again, paused for a second, wrote a note on a piece of parchment, and continued where he left off.

I snapped out of Ser Periwinkle and willed him to come back as I began to change for dinner. A yellow dress made of silk would be a nice look. I would be sitting at the high table with my family seeing as it was dinner and therefore a more formal occasion.

I made it down there early. My seat was to the left of my mother, who was next to my Dad. Our steward, Ser Vance Coldwater was to the left of him, and Maester Coleman next to him. Then a random rotation of other prominent household figures for my dad to honor by having them sit up here. To my left were my sisters in decreasing age. Hestia. Heather. Hydra. Hyperia. Harbor. Hillary. Then, our Septa and Governess, Septa Sabrina. She was mainly there to keep my younger sisters under control. A few months ago Harbor flicked peas onto the table below us, and they got lodged in Victoria's hair.

I had changed into a pink dress for dinner. My sisters were dressed in blues, pinks, and purples. Hestia, to my left, was the first one to make a comment about my foray into the training yard today.

"I saw you go to the yard today. You were amazing. You shot better than Valentine! Has Ser Tytos been training you individually? I didn't even know you were interested in fighting!"

I ignored her line of questioning, simply responding, "I'm just a natural, it seems."

"Yes, your father did tell me of your accomplishments today. I must say we were surprised," my mom, Valerie, said to me, brushing the back of my hair with her hand. I could tell that in the back of her mind she was wondering where the years went.

"You've grown so fast," she smiled.

"A natural? You're more than a natural. You must be a prodigy," Hestia scoffed: her curiosity wasn't satiated. Ever the inquisitive one.

My father's conversation to his right had seemingly finished up, so he decided to enter ours. "Yes, it was quite a tale Ser Tytos was able to tell of you. I only wish I could have seen it for myself. I may stop by the training yard again tomorrow to witness your abilities first-hand. I also take it you'll be attending the boar hunt with us men?"

"If you'll have me father, I would love too."

"These mountains and these woods will one day be yours. You should be familiar with them," he declared, patting the table with a sense of finality. My dad always liked to make everything he did seem like a momentous permanent decision. It wasn't an arrogance thing, I didn't think: he just seemed to like things to have no air of confusion about them. Everything settled.

Dinner for the rest of the night was a normal affair of discussing other people's events throughout the day until the toast my father made to the entire hall. He brought up the fact that I was going to be going on the boar hunt and I was a fine archer, making dozens of bullseye shots in a row, which was a bit of an exaggeration, since I likely never made more than a handful in a row. It was sort of embarrassing but also nice to be commended in front of everyone. I could see the jealousy at learning how to shoot from Hydra, I knew she always dreamed of being a Knight, which sadly wasn't really possible. I'd never heard of any lady knights. If I were Queen, I'd make her the commander of my Queensguard, though. I know she's make a fine Knight. But now that I was being trained, I knew Dad would never hear the end of it from her until she got to train too. He'd last a while though, likely wanting to wait till she's somewhat older. She's only 6. Almost seven, which is when a lot of noble boys start seriously training, so she probably wouldn't have to wait too long.

The meal I had was quite satisfying: lamb with a wine sauce, a potato, and fresh buttered bread. For dessert I had sweetcorn fritters. The food lacked the variety of spices I had experienced on Earth, but there was sufficient spice and seasoning. I was worried I would never taste chocolate again. Or cumin. Or chili powder. Would I never have a taco again? Or chocolate cake or hot chocolate? Hmm. I wonder if there was anything I could do about that. I remembered something about a magical spice pouch from D&D. I wonder if I could create magical items with the use of that spellbook.

At the end of dinner, my family normally spent about an hour together in the living rooms of the Moon Tower, where my parent's bedchamber was. Tonight, we played a game of cards. Hearts. I lost, but I wasn't the biggest loser. Hestia managed to win. I think she peeked at Dad's cards, though. After the game settled down and we were free to go back to our bedchambers, I decided it was time to open the drawer of my nightstand and see what that spellbook contained.

I unlocked the drawer, pulling out the book. It was likely over a foot and a half tall and a foot wide. A very large book. Grasping it, I thought it may have been a tad bit more useful if it was smaller. Then, suddenly, it shrank to a quarter of that size, able to fit right in my hand. Astonishing. I did have the thought it would be easier to read if it's large, though, and then it grew back to its previously enlarged size. It was leather-bound, with a small silvery crescent moon embossed into the leather. The leather itself was a dark color, greenish-brown. The edges of the pages were golden. I opened it up to the first page, which was a table of contents. Cantrips, first level spells, second level spells, spells all the way up to the ninth level, magic item creation, a few magic item formulas, ritual casting, spell mastery, signature spells, teaching the arcane, creating magical foci, and more. It seemed like most things I wouldn't be able to do right now, so I opened it up to the pages describing cantrips. There were a lot of options. But what to attempt to learn first? I guess: the D&D staple prestidigitation? But wouldn't I need a magical focus first?

Suddenly the spellbook grew hotter in my hands, the golden edges of the pages turning, the book snapped shut, and the crescent moon on the cover began to glow with a blinding light until I had to close my eyes. Opening them up, sitting there on the cover where the crescent moon had been was a silver bracelet with a crescent moon charm. The charm itself was a beautifully cut emerald.

Huh. Well, I guess that was the magical foci covered. Speaking of cover: now the cover was blank. Putting the charm bracelet on, though, I suddenly felt a connection to the spellbook. Like I could feel where it was. That might be useful, for sure.

Back to cantrips. The book explained that spells could have verbal or somatic components, and that material components were normally not needed if you had a spellcasting focus unless the required materials were rare or of high value. It explained that learning to cast a spell was a lot like casting a spell as a ritual, it involved drawing out runes that dictated the effects of the spell, chanting of the verbal components, repetitively doing the somatic components, and a lot of mental focus. Through practice, spells could be cast without all of the runes, and in a short moment. But to learn to cast them, I first had to learn how the spells were built. Thankfully, it seemed I was proficient in arcana as a result of inheriting this book. Therefore, I could understand what all the runes meant and the basics of spells and the magical arts. It still took me just about two hours to learn the cantrip, though. It was one of the most basic spells. Thankfully I only need to "sleep" for four hours each night, because this process of learning spells I knew would take up most of my evening hours.

Having fully understood the spell and the runes that went into building the effects, I began to start casting it for practice. Funnily, prestidigitation was a simple spell, but depending on the effect you desired, it would be cast slightly differently.

I had a lit candle on my bedside table. I made a triangle with my fingers and then twisted my hands always from each other, muttering the archaic words of the spell. The candle went out; the smoke drifted up from the now cooling wick. I cast the spell again. The candle lit. I walked over to the fireplace of my sitting room, where there was wood waiting to be lit on a chilly summer night. I cast the spell again. The fire roared to life. I snuffed it out with another cast, quickly after. Didn't need Elena asking any questions of how I had half-burned firewood.

I then danced around my room for half an hour, testing the multitude of effects of the marvelous spell. I created sparks in the air like tiny fireworks, of all colors and sizes. I created puffs of wind, turning the pages of the spellbook with a twist of my fingers. I played faint musical notes in the air of the melodies of earth I missed. I could create the smell of brownies and the smell of skunk, whatever I wished. My room was immaculately clean, but I could use the spell to clean or soil up to a square foot of space at a time, so I used both effects to switch back and forth between clean and dirty on a part of my marble floor as practice. I changed the color of one of my walls, turning it hot pink for an hour. I flavored up a box of biscuits I had, adding a hint of chocolate to the taste. I created a temporary bell in my hand, ringing it on the balcony. I warmed my bed, making it quite snug.

Magic was amazing. But also, I knew magic wasn't something to expose to people. At least not until I was more powerful. I knew my family would be intrigued and respond with curiosity, as would likely most nobles who have been able to study history and know dragons and magic use to exist in this world. A lot of commoners believe magic is something of legends, however. Some nobles too. If I had something they didn't and that they could take it away: I wouldn't feel very safe. It was best I keep this a secret until I can protect myself and teach it to those I trust.

So, protection, that's what I needed now. Whelp. Guess, I should learn Eldritch Blast. A force damaging spell with a good distance. Fire would be too obvious. I'd still learn Firebolt, because I want to know every spell, but for right now: the priority was to not be flashy.


End file.
